Taunton couple faces child rape, endangerment charges

An Eldridge Street man is facing child rape charges, and his wife one count of child endangerment, for an incident dating back to January 2008, according to Taunton District Court documents.

Charles Winokoor, Staff Writer

An Eldridge Street man is facing child rape charges, and his wife one count of child endangerment, for an incident dating back to January 2008, according to Taunton District Court documents.

Roland Hill and Mary R. Hill, both of whom are 46 and live at 3 Eldridge St., were picked up on a straight warrant Friday afternoon downtown at Off Broadway Diner, police said.

They were arraigned later that day and released from district court after bail was posted by two separate third-party individuals.

The police report describing the details of the alleged offenses are sealed, due to the sexual nature of the charges and the ages of the victims.

Roland Hill faces the most numerous and serious charges. They include three counts of aggravated rape, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older, assault of a child with intent to commit rape, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, threatening to commit a crime and assault and battery.

Hill was released on $25,000 cash bail, the full amount of which, according to court records, was posted by Michael O’Donnell.

O’Donnell listed his residence as 111 Main St., which is the Leonard Block/Star Theater building next to City Hall; he paid with one check for $22,500 and another in the amount of $2,500, records show.

Mary R. Hill was charged with a single count of reckless endangerment of a child and was released on $2,500 cash bail posted by Amanda Hill.

Both Roland and Mary Hill are due back in court on Oct. 8 for a pre-trial hearing.

Judge Kevan J. Cunningham also set a list of specific conditions for the couple. He stipulated that Roland Hill stay away from and have no contact whatsoever with the victims and refrain from any unsupervised contact with children under the age of 19.

Mary Hill was instructed to stay away from and similarly have no contact with the victims, according to court records.

A woman living on Eldridge Street, who asked to remain anonymous, said that she never had reason to suspect that anything illicit or abusive involving children had occurred at the Hills’ house.

She described Roland Hill as an independent contractor who is regarded as a talented carpenter, and said that his wife Mary works as a waitress.

The woman also said that the couple have two grown sons and an adult daughter, Amanda, who apparently paid the $2,500 bail for her mother.

A telephone message left at the Hill residence was not immediately returned.